1. Sound
Film sound is as important and as carefully controlled as the visual elements of a text.
Although sound is often recorded on set, most filmsound is assed in post-production.
Films sound will be mixed very carefully to ensure that important sounds are emphasised
and that the correct atmosphere for a sequence is maintained.
Diegetic- sound that exists within the world of the film e.g. Voices of characters, sounds
made by objects in the story, music that is played in the story that characters are aware of
etc.
Non-diegetic- sound that emerges from outside the world of the film e.g. Soundtracks,
narrator’s commentary, sound effects added for dramatic effect etc.
Selective sound is used to emphasise key sound elements within a sequence.
Ambient sound is used to create a particular atmosphere or a sense of place.
Sound Bridges are the use of sound to help transitions between sequences pass more
fluidly.
Sound effects are these used to create a sense of realismor to create some psychological
impact or effect.
Synchronous sound- when a sound effect is matched with another technical event or action,
this reinforces the effect.
Asynchronous sound- when a sound originates from outside of the diegetic reality of the
film; musical soundtrack.
Contrapuntal- noise or sound effect which doesn’t match the visuals, often juxtaposed to
create alternative meaning.
Voiceovers- This is the ‘voice’ of the character this voice often guides or informs the
external audience but can be used to push them in the wrong narrative direction.
Theme music- The music that introduces, develops throughout and ends the film. It often
indicates the ‘personality’ and mode of address of the movie. Characters can have their own
theme music, this can be used to indicate their presence or ‘emotional journey’.
Musical score- used to create atmosphere, to link shots or sequences, to help create the
narrative or to offer information about the characters.
Silence- film/TV are very rarely completely silent but this effect is occasionally used to
provoke a reaction from the audience.
